Curried Coconut Soup

This recipe can be found in “Ani’s Raw Food Essentials” Makes 4 servings: 1 cup diced ripe avocado (about 1 large) 2 1⁄2 cups cherry tomatoes 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon) 1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid 1⁄4 cup cilantro, fresh 1 Tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup filtered water Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. To serve, divide among serving bowls. Top each portion with fresh cilantro leaves. Enjoy immediately! Will keep for 2 to 3 days in fridge. :)

By |June 21st, 2013|Ani's Raw Food Essentials, Beauty, Fitness, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, RECIPES, Soups, Super Foods, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Curried Coconut Soup

Got Juice?

I love green juices, and think of them as my daily multi-vitamin. In the same way I would never think to live off a bottle of vitamins only, I don’t think to starve myself on a 5-10 day juice fast in order to detox (unless I had a tumor to starve or some other acute health crisis). It seems to be a new trend here in LA that people with unhealthy processed diets and lifestyles, who even smoke, suddenly think it’s okay to starve for 7 days on a juice cleanse to make everything better. How about focusing instead on creating a healthier lifestyle through exercise, clean eating, mediation, and happiness rather than starving? These are the real keys to longevity. Green juices are wonderful for vitamins and minerals, and for nourishing our bodies. But, it’s so much more FUN and less painful to enjoy delicious Raw Foods while accidentally DETOXing! Feasting on Raw Foods, rather than starving on a juice cleanse, is safer and healthier for you. We’re designed to be eating whole foods. Starving our bodies on just juice cannibalizes our muscle mass, slows down our metabolism, and will make us gain weight as soon as we eat again (besides throwing off our hormones, along with triggering a slew of other biological reactions). It’s painful to starve ourselves. Why deny ourselves when instead we can feast and enjoy delicious Raw Foods to cleanse and detox? I’d rather eat clean, detoxifying foods, than starve myself. Wouldn’t you agree? Ani’s Favorite Green Juice Recipe: Dandelion Kale Cilantro Jalapeño Fennel Basil Turmeric Cucumber Celery Spinach Lemon

By |June 4th, 2013|Beauty, Drinks, Fitness, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, RECIPES, Soups, Super Foods, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Got Juice?

Congratulations to Ani’s Raw Food Certification Course, Level 1, Inaugural Class!

We kicked off Ani's Raw Food Certification Course, Level 1 on March 15, 16, 17th, 2013 to a packed house! It was a weekend of raw food making and eating, eco-green living inspiration, and happiness all around. Experiencing visible transformations as people detox on raw food for 3 days is incredible! The room's happiness index kept rising up as our days passed, and people glowed.

By |March 17th, 2013|Beauty, Events, Farmers' Market, Fitness, Food Demos, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, NEWS & EVENTS, NEWS & EVENTS PAGE, RECIPES, Retreats, Talks|Comments Off on Congratulations to Ani’s Raw Food Certification Course, Level 1, Inaugural Class!

Ingredients From Our Local Farmers’ Market

Ani's Raw Food Certification courses are held a couple blocks from the Saturday morning Santa Monica Farmers' Market, where local farmers bring us seasonal produce that's been picked just a few hours before. Sometimes, we'll find heirloom ingredients available for only a week, or better yet.....dry farmed produce. That's when the plants just thrive on their own, without watering nor chemicals! Fresh, local, seasonal, gluten free, vegan, and organic...what better way to detox and cleanse from urban toxins?

By |March 15th, 2013|Events, Farmers' Market, Food Demos, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, NEWS & EVENTS, NEWS & EVENTS PAGE, Retreats, Super Foods, Talks, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Ingredients From Our Local Farmers’ Market

Got Juice?

  Ani's Favorite Green Juice Recipe: Dandelion Kale Cilantro Jalapeño Fennel Basil Turmeric Cucumber Celery Spinach Lemon I love green juices, and think of them as my daily multi-vitamin. In the same way I would never think to live off a bottle of vitamins only, I don't think to starve myself on a 5-10 day juice fast in order to detox (unless I had a tumor to starve or some other acute health crisis). It seems to be a new trend here in LA that people with unhealthy processed diets and lifestyles, who even smoke, suddenly think it's okay to starve for 7 days on a juice cleanse to make everything better. How about focusing instead on creating a healthier lifestyle through exercise, clean eating, mediation, and happiness rather than starving? These are the real keys to longevity. Green juices are wonderful for vitamins and minerals, and for nourishing our bodies. But, it's so much more FUN and less painful to enjoy delicious Raw Foods while accidentally DETOXing! Feasting on Raw Foods, rather than starving on a juice cleanse, is safer and healthier for you. We're designed to be eating whole foods. Starving our bodies on just juice cannibalizes our muscle mass, slows down our metabolism, and will make us gain weight as soon as we eat again (besides throwing off our hormones, along with triggering a slew of other biological reactions). It's painful to starve ourselves. Why deny ourselves when instead we can feast and enjoy delicious Raw Foods to cleanse and detox? I'd rather eat clean, detoxifying foods, than starve myself. Wouldn't you agree?  

By |March 3rd, 2013|Beauty, Drinks, Farmers' Market, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, RECIPES, Super Foods|Comments Off on Got Juice?

Ani’s dineLA Restaurant Week Vegetarian Roundup

dineLA has invited me to name 10 restaurants offering vegetarian items on their dineLA restaurant week menus....

By |January 18th, 2012|Events, Farmers' Market, Green Living, LIFESTYLE, NEWS & EVENTS PAGE|Comments Off on Ani’s dineLA Restaurant Week Vegetarian Roundup

Donate Life Rose Parade Float, New Year Day 2012

on new year's day, i got to help with the float for the Rose Parade, which was on Jan 2nd this year. Donate Life is an amazing organization that raises awareness so we stick that pink dot onto our driver's license to help save lives.

By |January 2nd, 2012|Events, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE|Comments Off on Donate Life Rose Parade Float, New Year Day 2012

A Day in the Sun

I'm a monkey (Chinese year of the Monkey), so was drawn to the rings. It looked hard, but it really doesn't take strength, but rather, finesse. You just need to build momentum, and have calloused hands would help too.

By |September 27th, 2011|Fitness, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE|1 Comment

Kanga’s 9-Year Birthday + Dogversary

Kanga, my dog, rescued me 9-years ago on Labor Day Weekend in Portland, OR. To celebrate, we went to Huntington Dog Beach on the final hot day of summer!

By |September 9th, 2011|Beauty, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE|2 Comments

Walk for Farm Animals with Gene Baur in Santa Monica, CA

I had the honor of leading Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Farm Animals with founder Gene Baur in Santa Monica, CA. It was the biggest turnout yet.

By |September 25th, 2010|Events, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE|1 Comment